Clutch for automatic transmissions



March 24, ml. N. A. GAGE l m9738226 CLUTCH FOR AUTOMATC TRANSMTSSIONS Filed Jan. SO, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l March 24, 1931. N A, GAGE A1,797,826

CLUTCH FOR AUTOMATTC TRANSMISSIONS Filed Jan. 30 1926 2' Sheets-Sheet 2 (MMM/M ,Smm my STATE PTN` OFFICE NELSON' A. GAGE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 FLEXO-DRIVE CORPORATION, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, .A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS CLUTCH FOR AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS Application led January 30, 1926.

The present invention relates to automatic transmissions and has particular reference to an improved friction clutching device which is speciall adapted for that type of transmission disclosed in the co-pending application of David W. Jones filed Jan.'29, 1926, Serial No. 84,558.

A transmission of the type described is entirely practicable, but it will not function as quickly as might be desired in reaching what would correspond in an ordinary shiftable gear transmission to a high gear ratio, nor will it function as slowly as might be desired indiscontinuing that ratio. These characteristics have occasioned the improvement v which constitutes the present invention.

The purpose of the invention is to provide an improved clutching device for a transmission of the type described in which the centrifugally operated friction shoes of the clutching device and the drum with which they coact are so shaped and arranged as to produce more quickly a condition of static frictional engagement therebetween and "thereafter maintain such condition longe during deceleration.

'Other objects and advantages of the 1nvention will be evident to those skilled in the art upon a full understanding of the nature of the frictionally coacting shoean'd drum arts incorporated Vin the transmission; the invention residing substantially in the novel construction and shaping of such parts.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is set forth in the accompanying drawings and following description, but it will be undei-stood that the'invention is also susceptible of embodiment in many other structurally 'different forms which come equally within the contemplation of the invention.

In the drawings: l Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section taken through the center of the transmission; Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section' taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is an end View of one of the shoevsupporting spiders, 'showing one of the centrifugally operated friction shoes in place thereon.

The transmission illustrated in the draw- Serial No. 84,825.

ings is similar, in its general features of construction, arrangement and operation, to that disclosed in the above mentioned application of David lV. Jones. The transmission is fully automatic, and differs saliently from other types in that it is equipped with two sets of centrifugally operated friction shoes which rotate respectively with the driving and driven elements. One set of shoes has a direct connection with the driving element and acts frictionally against a drinn which has a reduced connection through planet gearing with the driven element. and the other set of shoes has a direct connection with the driven clement and acts frictionally against the drum driven bythe first sct. which arrangement 'gives a device in which the ratio of power transmission is fiexiblc and will automatically vary under control of both the vspeed and the load to adjust itself properly to any particular operating' condition.

The transmission is housed in a casingY 1() at the roar ofthe fly wheel 11 of thc associated motor. and includes two axially aligned shafts l2 and 13. For convenience. thc fly wheil 11 may he considered thc driving elcmcnt of the transmission, and either the shaft 12 or the shaft 13 the driven element--` since iheshaft 13 is connected directly with thc propeller shaft'of the associated chassis and thc'shaft 12 normally is' connected directly with the shaft 13 by means of a manually operable jaw clutch l14. The front end of the shaft 12 is journalled vin a central recess in the rear face of the fly wheel.

, A sleeve 15 is secured to thc hub of the Hy wheel 11 and extends rearwardly into the casing 10 about lthe front end of the shaft 12. A spider 16 is splined to the sleeve and carries a set of shoes 17. The shoes 17 straddle A drum 2O encompasses the set of shoes 17 for frictional coaction with the same in a body of oil 4contained in the casing. The front end of the drum extends inwardly and is journalled on a sleeve 21 formed on the spider 16, and the rear end extends inwardly and is secured to a sleeve 22 which forms a part of a pinion 23. The pinion 23 is journalled on the shaft 12 and is positioned immediately in front of a larger pinion 24 which is secured to that shaft. A bracket 25 is journalled on the sleeve 22 of the pinion 23 and supports two diametrically disposed counter shafts 26, each of which has rotatably mounted thereon a large pinion 27 and a smaller pinion 28. The pinions 27 and 28 on each of the countershafts are fixedly associated with each other and are meshed respectively with the pinions 23 and 24.

The bracket 25 is free to turn in the direction in which the iy wheel 11 rotates, but is prevented from turning in the reverse direc tion by means of a plurality of balls 29 which are caged between two ring members 30 and 31. This construction is best shown in Fig. 2. The outer member 30 is secured to the bracket 25, and the inner member 31 is journalled on a sleeve on the bracket and is held against any substantial amount of rotation thereon by a radially extending arm 32 on the member which is connected with a piston 33 in an oil pot 34 positioned in the bottom of the ,casing 10. The balls 29 are seated by centrifugal force in pockets 35 in the outer member 30 when, that member is rotating in the direction in which the fly wheel is rotating, but drop partly into locking pockets 36 in the inner member 31 when the member 30 is at rest and ,attempts to rotate in the reverse direction,

tion in the pot 34 by suitable spring means,

and, when the member 31 attempts to rotate in a. reverse direction, it acts through the piston upon the oil in the pot and is as a consequence brought to a gradual stop as the oil seeps past-the piston and permits the-latter to bottom. The oil will again enter the pot through a suitable one-way valve as soon as the piston has again resumed its outermost position.

Another set of shoes 37 is positioi'ied wit-hin the drum 20 in the space between the shoes 17 and the rear end of the drum. The shoes 37 are carried in the same manner as the shoes 17 on a spider 38, and the spider is splined to the shaft 12.

A pinion 39 is fixedly associated with the shaft 12 at the rear end thereof, and meshes with a larger pinion 40 which is journalled on a countershaft 41 in the lower part of the casing. The pinion 40 is provided with a rearwardly extending sleeve 42 on which a smaller pinion 43 is secured, and the pinions 40 and 43 rotate together on the countershaft indrical design 41. Another pinion 44 is non-rotatably but slidably mounted on a Vuared portion of the shaft 13 and may be shifted into any one of three positions along that shaft. The pinion 44 carries on its front face one of the two interlocking clutch elements of the jaw clutch 14, the other of such elements being carried on the rear face of the shaft 12, and, when the pinion 44 is shifted into its front position, the elements of the clutch will interlock and the shafts'12 and 13 will rotate as a unit. lVhen Vthe pinion 44 is in its intermediate position, as shown in Fig. 1, there is no driving connection between the shafts 12 and 13 and the transmission is in neutral, and, when the pinion 44 is shifted into its rear position, the pinion 43 will become meshed therewith, to efl'ect ay driving connection between the shafts 12 and 13 at a reduction. A manually operated lever 45 may be used to shift the pinion 44, through an intermediate connecting yoke 46.

The present invention resides in the con- A struction and arrangement of the shoe and drum parts, as hereinafter described.

The shoes 17 and 37 are tapered outwardly, as shown in Fig. 1, and have two inclined bearing surfaces 47 and 48 for frictional coaction with the drum 20. The surfaces 47 and 48 may be arranged at various inclinal tions to suit requirements, but an angle of approximately 60 to the axis of the drum has been found to give very satisfactory results.

The drum 2O is shaped to conform with the shoes 17 and 37, and is, for convenience in construction, assembly and'repair, composed of three separable sections 49, 50 and 51. The front end section 49 is a disk which has a conical surface portion 52; the rear end section is a somewhat similar disk which has a reversely inclined conicalsurface portion 53; and the intermediate Section5() is a twopart hollow annulus of triangular form which has two inclined conical surface portions 54 and 55. The three sections. are bolted together in such a way as to be taken apart readily when desired. The conical surface portions 52 and 54 coact frictionally with the. shoes 17, while the portionsf53 and 55 coact vwith the shoes 37, and allflof such surface portions; are covered with annular fric- The shoe and drum' construction above described causes the shoes to reach a condition of non-rotatable engagement'. with the drum much more quickly than if the ordinary cylof such parts were used, and

also causes t e shoes to continue in engage'- ment; with the drinn longer when the speed ot' rotation of the shoes is decreaeii'ig.

The operation of the transn'iission is as fol lows:

Ordinarily the elements of the jaw clutch 14 are maintained in interlocked association. VVnen the driving element, represented b v thel tlv wheel 11, is rotating at an idling speed7 there will. he no transmission of power through the device because the shoes 17 will not he thrown out with sutlicient centrifugal torce against the drinn 2O to irietionally engage with the latter. lVhen the speed. ot' the driving element 11 is accelerated above an idling speed` however, the shoes 17 will trictionallv engage with the drinn 2O and will graduallyv bring the drinn into synchronous rotation therewith. under which condition the driven eleinent. repreaented by the sha l'ts 1Q and lil. will he rotated slowl)r through the reduction provided h v the planet gearing 23. 24. Qi' and 9.8. which gilarii'ig is held against rotation in a reverse direction by the hack stop device associated therewith. If the speed thiis imparted to the driven element is sufficient to cause the shoes 37 to be' thrown the drinn. the drinn will tend to carryalong with it the shoes 3T. as it is rotating more rapidlyY than such Shoes` and the driven element with which the shoes 37 are associated will be'thereby gradually accelerated to the speed oi the drinn, the shoes 8T ot course pressing with increasing force againsty the drinn Q as the speed o'lE the driven element increases. The two .sets of shoes. the drinn and the planet gearing will then all rotate as a unit with the driving and driven elemente. `When the load resistance increases to an amount. in excess of that which the motor will efficiently develop in torque. as in ascending a hill` the shoes 37 will be forced by the resistance to ffliscontinue their static trictiional engagement with the drinn. and the. then vloiwardly rotating bracket and associated planet. gearing will gradually return again to a stationair)v position in which the transmission will deliver the torque of the motor to the driven element through the reduction provided by the gearing.

I claim: y

1. A clutching device ol' the class described comprising in combination a pair of independently mountedand tapered centrifugal shoes each having two inclined hearing surfaces and a friction drinn to Ico-act with said shoes; said drum comprising interconnected front, rear and intermediate separable seetions, the front and rear sections being fashioned as discs with oppositely inclined conical surfaces to provide bearing surfaces for 'the outside ones of the inclined surfaces on each of said shoes, the intermediate section of the drum being nested between said front and rear sections and comprising a two-part scribed in v name.

NELSON A. GAGE. 

